“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” said Uncle Robert. “Begin with Miss—er Gwenny.”
“Why, you needn’t call her Miss,” said Rosanna. “You never used to! I thought first you were going to say begin with Miss Hooker.”
“Ridiculous!” laughed Uncle Robert, cocking his eye up at the ceiling. “Begin with Gwenny, of course.”
“Well,” said Rosanna, “we have only had two letters from her mother. One was soon after you went away, and said that Gwenny was very comfortable indeed, and had a fine room, and was making a great many friends. The doctor couldn’t tell when he would operate, because he would have to take Gwenny any time she happened to be at her best. That was about all of that letter. The next one was just the other day. And Uncle Robert, they have operated! They telegraphed for Doctor Rick, and he is there now. But Mrs. Harter wrote that the operation was over and Doctor Branshaw thinks it will be perfectly successful.”
“Well, that is perfectly splendid!” said Uncle Robert. “Did she tell you how Gwenny stood it?”
“Yes. She said for a couple of hours they were afraid her heart was going to stop, but that Doctor Branshaw stood right over her, and had everything ready to start it again if they could. He stayed with her all night. You ought to hear the way Mrs. Harter talks about him. She thinks he is a saint, as well as the greatest doctor in the whole world.”
“He assays pretty well toward solid gold,” said Uncle Robert.
“Mrs. Harter says they don’t know when they will be able to get home, but already Gwenny sleeps better and is beginning to want to eat. She never did, you know.”
“That is certainly fine news,” said Uncle Robert. “Anything else happened while I was away?”